Blunt title, eh? There's a reason for it, one we will progressively get to. But for starters let's analyze two different words, faith and truth. These two appear to be friends, ideas or concepts that go hand and hand in our minds. There's an issue with that though. Ultimately, people's faith determines what is truth to them.
As I'm sure you are aware, I am not the only person on earth, and neither are you for that matter. So when we perceive our faith to be the truth, we run into a bit of an issue. We all want to believe our faith is the one true way of perceiving, but unfortunately that would mean nothing really matters and we are just shaping our own faith and heaven and communal understanding holds no significant value... I don't know about you, but that's a bit too post-modern, even for me. So then, where exactly does that leave us? Because if we can't pinpoint what truth is really the truth, what's even the point of faith at all? I personally think the solution is rather easy. To quote The Mowgli's "let your faith guide your faith".
At some point, the definition of faith (which by the way... Faith: to believe, or trust.) got replaced with a sense of certainty (and again... Certainty: an assured fact in which there is no doubt). Which is obviously comforting for some individuals, it helps them feel confident they won't burn in hell (if that's what drives your faith, we may want to talk a bit further on how that may not be the most healthy position...). But the trouble is, millions, heck maybe even billions in the world take this stance that's an advocate for certainty. Fact of the matter is though, certainty and faith don't mix well. Think of them as orange juice and toothpaste, both very practical and useful on their own, but when meshed together, they don't create a good result. It’s actually quite disgusting and takes away from the benefit of both.
When it comes to faith, we can't really be certain of anything. Christians get so mad at atheists claiming there isn't a God because they say atheists can't fully prove that claim. Well, hate to break it to my clan of people, but can we really prove there is a God...? Faith doesn't rely on proof, it relies on an individual relationship with that in which your faith is directed toward. A relationship that is so incredibly beautiful, awe-inspiring, and fulfilling that it exceeds the comfort the idea of being certain can provide because of it's personal effect on your soul.
The whole idea of agnosticism is incredibly interesting (this may seem like a random side fact but hear me out). What agnostics essentially believe is that they cannot be certain whether there is a God or not. It’s so baffling that this even has to be a separate category from Christianity because in all reality nobody can know such a thing. That is because Christianity, or any religion for that matter does not, or at least should not, rely on certainty. It should rely on FAITH. Unfortunately, this shift in what faith is supposed to look like has led most people away from pursuing a relationship with God because they are not certain about everything they are “supposed” to believe in regards to this spiritual deity.
I know nothing, and that's okay. When we approach an idea with a certainty based attitude and stand firm in that approach, where is the room for progress? I don't know if Gandhi is in heaven or hell. I don't know if God will save all in the end. I don't know if gay marriage is okay or not. I don't know if God only accepts "Christians" into heaven. I don't know if the message of the gospels is encompassed in Christ's death or Christ's resurrection. Fact of the matter is, none of this is truly knowable. We must let our faith guide our faith in these areas, we must let our image of God, based on what has been revealed to us, lead us to personal OPINIONS (not whole-hearted truths) on these matters.
Now I know there's a lot of people out there who have some problems with this. Some will use scripture to try and give clear and concise answers on these topics. Some people will say "God can't do anything outside the realm of His character so therefore people must end up in hell if God is just" (so much to talk about here...) or "homosexuality is clearly not okay just look in Corinthians" (context, context, context...). But ones perception of another's character is all based on interaction, whether it's with a friend, a coworker, or even a spiritual deity. All I know is that the character of God that's been revealed to me is encompassed in the ideas of love, grace, mercy, and compassion. Notice these words are not condemnation, justified war, judgement, or damnation. When Gods character is shaped by love, grace, mercy, and compassion, none of these debates matter. They are just distractions from the overall beauty that God holds.
When we pursue certainty, we miss the relationship. When we focus on the relationship, being certain of something is not even a relevant emotion. You just feel it. When someone is truly in love, they don’t have to convince themselves of it, they are just aware of it. Let your and Gods relationship not be a math equation of which you can be certain, let your image of God be a beautiful relationship based around an overwhelming sense of love. Because when that is how you see God, being certain is about as relevant as yesterdays rain cloud when today is full of sun.
Some of the sources that helped me come to these conclusions:
Benefit of the Doubt by Greg Boyd- Great book to help explain how being certain is not what Christianity is about and is, in fact, inherently dangerous.
Unapologetic by Francis Spufford- Not totally finished but an interesting read about how christianity can still make sense in our current world.
Rob Bell's What is the Bible blog posts- Incredibly enlightening way to look at scripture. Check it out here...http://robbellcom.tumblr.com/post/66107373947/what-is-the-bible
Talks with my mom
I mentioned The Mowglis... they are a wonderful band that is "in love with love", they are super great group that promotes togetherness and unity. Check them out! Those particular lyrics come from the song Carry Your Will.
